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Short answer: choose by the makers' home-size guides, not by the litres. Meaco's figures show a "12L" removing 5.2 litres a day and a "20L" 8.5 litres in a room at 20°C and 60% humidity. The 20-litre class costs £50 to £75 more and 1.6p to 2.4p more an hour to run, but removes more water per kWh.
The litres on the box
Meaco states the test conditions for each name plate: "30°C and 80% RH". It also publishes a figure at 27°C and 60% (Arete One range) and a table from 10°C to 30°C. EcoAir states 30°C and 80% for its compressor models (DC12 MK3: 12 litres; DC26: 26 litres). Pro Breeze, Ebac, Princess and Russell Hobbs print the litres without conditions. Two "12L" dehumidifiers from different makers may therefore not be measured the same way.
| Model | Name plate (30°C, 80% RH) | 10°C, 60% RH | 20°C, 60% RH | 10°C, 80% RH | 20°C, 80% RH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meaco Arete One 6L | 6 L | 1.25 L (90 W) | 2.63 L (101 W) | 1.76 L (91 W) | 4.71 L (104 W) |
| Meaco Arete One 10L | 10 L | 1.41 L (129 W) | 4.34 L (151 W) | 2.3 L (129 W) | 7.25 L (157 W) |
| Meaco Arete One 12L | 12 L | 8.33 L (157 W) | 5.23 L (151 W) | 3.77 L (131 W) | 8.33 L (157 W) |
| Meaco Arete One 20L | 20 L | 3.4 L (180 W) | 8.5 L (216 W) | 5.68 L (184 W) | 14.02 L (225 W) |
| Meaco MeacoDry ABC 10L | 10 L | 1.55 L (128 W) | 4.48 L (152 W) | 2.28 L (129 W) | 7.32 L (159 W) |
| Meaco 12L Low Energy | 12 L | 1.62 L (138 W) | 4.92 L (157 W) | 3.94 L (142 W) | 8 L (163 W) |
| Meaco 20L Low Energy | 20.38 L | not published | 8.48 L (219 W) | 5.86 L (165 W) | 13.74 L (228 W) |
| Meaco Arete Two 10L | 10 L | not published | 4.19 L (136 W) | 2.26 L (120 W) | 6.99 L (142 W) |
How we compare: criteria, sources and dates
Source: the "Water removal performance" table on each Meaco product page, read November 14, 2026 (litres a day, with the watts Meaco measured at that point). The Arete One 12L line shows 8.33 litres at 10°C and 60%, more than at 20°C: probably an error on Meaco's page, so we leave it out of our charts.
What the makers say about size
- Meaco (product cards, "House size"): Arete One 6L, 1 bedroom; 10L, up to 2 bedrooms; 12L, up to 3 bedrooms; 20L, up to 4 bedrooms.
- Ebac (product pages, "Home size bedrooms"): 2150e (12L), 1 to 2 bedrooms; 2650e (18L), 3 to 4 bedrooms; 2850e (21L), up to 5 bedrooms. Ebac adds that "almost all damp and condensation problems will be solved by removing 1.5 to 2 litres of moisture per day" (help to choose).
- Pro Breeze (specifications, "Maximum Room size"): 12L Compact, up to 20 m²; OmniDry 20L, up to 30 m²; OmniDry 40L, up to 50 m².
These are the makers' guides, which we quote without adding a rule of our own.
Every 12 and 20 litre model we found
| Model | Extraction (as published) | Power | Per hour [calc] | Noise | Weight | Tank | Price (Nov 14) | Seller |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pro Breeze 12L Compact | 12 L/day (conditions not published) | 184 W | 4.8p | from 42 dB(A) | 7.6 kg | 2 L | £94.99 | Pro Breeze store |
| Princess 12L Smart | 12 L/day (conditions not published) | 210 W | 5.5p | from 46 dB(A) | 9.05 kg | 2.5 L | £100.00 | B&Q |
| Pro Breeze 12L with Humidistat | 12 L/day (conditions not published) | 200 W | 5.3p | from 38 dB(A) | 9.55 kg | 1.8 L | £104.99 | Pro Breeze store |
| Pro Breeze OmniDry 12L | 12 L/day (conditions not published) | 180 W | 4.7p | from 36 dB(A) | 10.2 kg | 2 L | £109.99 | Pro Breeze store |
| EcoAir DC12 MK3 | 12 L/day (30°C, 80% RH) | 210 to 240 W | 6.3p | from 39 dB(A) | 9.5 kg | 2 L | £139.98 | EcoAir store |
| EcoAir Summit S | 12 L/day (conditions not published) | 156 to 180 W | 4.7p | from 36 dB(A) | 12 kg | 2 L | £149.94 | EcoAir store |
| Meaco MeacoDry ABC 12L | 12 L/day (30°C, 80% RH) | 165 W | 4.3p | from 36 dB(A) | 10.2 kg | 2.6 L | £149.99 | Meaco UK store |
| Meaco 12L Low Energy | 12 L/day (30°C, 80% RH) | 157 W | 4.1p | from 41 dB(A) | 9.9 kg | 2.5 L | £177.99 | B&Q |
| Ebac 2150e (12L) | 12 L/day (conditions not published) | 150 W | 3.9p | from 44 dB(A) | 13 kg | 3.5 L | £179.99 (out of stock) | Ebac store |
| Meaco Arete One 12L | 12 L/day (30°C, 80% RH) | 151 W | 4.0p | from 35 dB(A) | 11.5 kg | 2.5 L | £179.99 | Meaco UK store |
| Meaco Arete Two 12L | 12 L/day (30°C, 80% RH) | 155 W | 4.1p | from 35 dB(A) | 11.3 kg | 2.5 L | £194.99 | B&Q |
| Ebac 4150 (12L) | 12 L/day (conditions not published) | 190 W | 5.0p | from 44 dB(A) | 13 kg | 3.5 L | £219.99 (out of stock) | Ebac store |
| Pro Breeze 20L Max Extraction | 20 L/day (conditions not published) | 310 W | 8.2p | from 38 dB(A) | 12.2 kg | 5.5 L | £139.99 | Pro Breeze store |
| Russell Hobbs 20L RHDH2002B | 20 L/day (conditions not published) | not published | n/a | from 47.5 dB(A) | not published | 3 L | £144.99 | B&Q |
| Pro Breeze 20L Premium Laundry | 20 L/day (conditions not published) | 270 W | 7.1p | from 39 dB(A) | 13 kg | 5.5 L | £149.99 | Pro Breeze store |
| Princess 20L Smart | 20 L/day (conditions not published) | not published | n/a | from 46 dB(A) | 13 kg | 3.7 L | £150.00 | B&Q |
| Pro Breeze OmniDry 20L | 20 L/day (conditions not published) | 270 W | 7.1p | from 36 dB(A) | 12.5 kg | 4 L | £159.99 | Pro Breeze store |
| Meaco Arete One 20L | 20 L/day (30°C, 80% RH) | 216 W | 5.7p | from 38 dB(A) | 15.2 kg | 4.8 L | £255.00 | B&Q |
| Meaco Arete Two 20L | 20 L/day (30°C, 80% RH) | 230 W | 6.1p | from 38 dB(A) | 15.4 kg | 4.8 L | £299.99 (out of stock) | Meaco UK store |
| Meaco 20L Low Energy | 20.38 L/day (30°C, 80% RH) | 219 W | 5.8p | from 46 dB(A) | 13.5 kg | 6 L | £229.99 | B&Q |
How we compare: criteria, sources and dates
Price and running cost of the extra litres
- Meaco Arete One: 12L £179.99, 151 W; 20L £255 at B&Q (£259.99 at Meaco), 216 W. The 20L costs £75 more and 1.7p more an hour [calc].
- Meaco Low Energy: 12L £177.99 at B&Q, 157 W; 20L £229.99 at B&Q, 219 W: £52 more, 1.6p more an hour [calc].
- Pro Breeze OmniDry: 12L £109.99, 180 W; 20L £159.99, 270 W: £50 more, 2.4p more an hour [calc].
Per litre removed, the bigger machine does better on Meaco's own figures: at 20°C and 60% RH the Arete One 12L removes 5.23 litres for 151 W running all day (3.62 kWh), 1.44 litres per kWh; the 20L removes 8.5 litres for 216 W (5.18 kWh), 1.64 litres per kWh [calc]. With a humidistat, a bigger machine simply runs fewer hours.
Work out your own hours on the running cost calculator, or compare all 47 models on the comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Should I buy a 12L or 20L dehumidifier?
Go by the makers' own sizing guides rather than the litres: Meaco puts its Arete One 12L at "up to 3 bedrooms" and its 20L at "up to 4 bedrooms"; Ebac puts its 12-litre 2150e at "1 to 2 bedrooms" and its 18-litre 2650e at "3 to 4 bedrooms". For one damp room or a flat, the 12-litre class is what the makers recommend; for drying lots of washing or a large, very damp house, the 20-litre class.
Does a 20L dehumidifier cost more to run than a 12L?
Per hour, yes: Meaco's Arete One 20L draws 216 W against 151 W for the 12L, 5.7p against 4.0p an hour at 26.32p per kWh [calc]. Per litre removed it is the other way round: at 20°C and 60% RH, Meaco's figures give the 20L 1.64 litres per kWh against 1.44 for the 12L [calc], and it reaches the humidity you set sooner.
Why does my 12L dehumidifier collect much less than 12 litres?
Because 12 litres is the name plate figure, which Meaco and EcoAir state is measured at 30°C and 80% relative humidity. At 20°C and 60%, Meaco's own table gives 5.23 litres a day for the Arete One 12L. A heated, ventilated home is rarely at 30°C and 80%.